Best Practices on Working Methods endorse the findings of the Ad Hoc Group on Working Methods as unanimously approved by the EESC Bureau/Enlarged Presidency. Best practices will provide a streamlined framework in the format and quality of EESC opinions to achieve their value added and better deliver their message to other institutions and the Member States, thus achieving better law making and better interinstitutional cooperation.
Quality opinions depend upon a streamlined framework of best practices including a selective choice of competent rapporteurs, co-rapporteurs and study group chairmen. A job description (in the form of a checklist) of rights and obligations of rapporteurs, co-rapporteurs and study group chairmen will facilitate the adoption of quality opinions.
Rapporteurs, presidents and members of study groups will receive an info pack from the section secretariat. The info pack (English/French) will contain the following:
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List of past opinions on the topic
Information on relevant work in the European Parliament, the Commission, business-related organisations, and other institutions as well as relevant (European) trade associations
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Reference to the EESC Consolidated Guide to preparing opinions
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Draft timetable for the opinion
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Background documents
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Regarding own-initiative opinions: proposals on various aspects of the same topic should be grouped into one own-initiative opinion. Own-initiative opinions on the same topic may only be produced once every three years, unless circumstances justify production at shorter periods.
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Rapporteurs, duly assisted by section secretariats, will make sure that the opinion does not exceed 18 000 characters without space at all times (version for first/second study group meeting, version for section meeting, version for plenary).
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Derogations up to 30 000 characters may be granted by section chairmen only in exceptional cases and should be fully justified.
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Rapporteurs will make sure that the Summary of the Commission document – where needed
– does not exceed half a page and will mention its reference to the web.
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EN

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Rapporteurs will make sure that the Recommendations do not exceed one page (including up to eight main messages).
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Before the plenary session, rapporteurs will provide 2-3 main messages from their opinion to be used for press/going local activities.
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Before the plenary session, rapporteurs will provide ten keywords from their opinion to the
IT database for cross-referencing purposes with past and future opinions.
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Rapporteurs duly assisted by the section secretariat should cooperate with movers of amendments before section meetings and plenary sessions so that amendments are
"mature" for decision or compromise when they arrive in section or plenary session.
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Counter opinions should follow the same rules as opinions insofar as they need to be short and to the point and offer a viewpoint that is significantly different from the original opinion
(cf. Rule 51(7)). The same rules apply to exploratory opinions.
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Rapporteurs, duly assisted by the section secretariat and with the help of the Group secretariat, shall give as much follow-up to their opinion as is appropriate for the file. They will at least present the key findings of their opinion to the EP, the Commission, the relevant
Council bodies, and where appropriate, the CoR, as well as interested European trade associations and think tanks.
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Rapporteurs should collaborate with the rapporteur of the European Parliament, and where appropriate the CoR, on the same issue and brief him about the EESC opinion.
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Rapporteurs should participate in going local activities on their opinion in the Member
States. They should participate in hearings, events and conferences referring to the topic of their opinion in Brussels or in Member States, thus achieving "greater presence on the ground" They should brief the press accordingly.
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Rapporteurs shall cooperate with EESC and Group 1 communication services to assure best possible media outcome for the opinion.
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The Group should establish a Monitoring Mechanism on Working Methods. A vice-president of the Group assisted by a member of the secretariat will examine every month if the draft opinions emanating from the Group abide by the above rules. The vice-president entrusted with the Monitoring Mechanism on Working Methods will produce every twelve months an audit report to the Group stating the number of opinions during the previous twelve months and "deficiencies" found. The Group will review the situation every twelve months.
Brussels, 18 February 2015
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